Mercedes" freshened C class gets more powerful engine

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-class sedan will be powered by a new four-cylinder engine that is more powerful and more efficient than the vehicle"s outgoing engine.

The sedan"s update kicks off Mercedes" freshening for the C-class family. In addition to the new engine, the C-class sedan will get many of the improvements introduced in its larger siblings, the redesigned E class and re-engineered S class.

The freshened 2019 C300 and C300 4MATIC will go on sale in the U.S. in late 2018 with new front and rear styling, interior upgrades and the new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Mercedes will unveil the sedan in early March at the Geneva auto show. Pricing will be announced closer to the vehicle"s on-sale date.

Under the hood, the new engine produces 255 hp, an upgrade of 14 hp from its predecessor, and 273 pound-feet of torque, Mercedes said. Exterior styling changes include redesigned front and rear bumpers and standard LED headlamps and taillamps.

The C-class sedan, last redesigned in 2014, also will borrow liberally from the redesigned E-class sedan that came out in 2016. It receives all Intelligent Drive-branded driver assistance features introduced on the E class, in addition to a new steering wheel design with touch control buttons.

But not everything is migrating down.

While the C300 will introduce an optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display, it won"t get the widescreen cockpit -- dual 12.3-inch displays positioned side by side -- available on the E class and the S class. Buyers of the freshened C-class sedan can choose a standard 7-inch central display or optional 10.25-inch display.